Do You See What I See?

Erin Soracco

English 101-21

November 14, 2012

The world that is seen through a child's eyes is a completely different world than what we as teenagers or adults see it as.   My service done at Acts 4 Youth with the young and underprivileged boys this week was another success.  These boys view not only the world but also our help much differently than we would see it since mainly because they are so young.  This observance can be connected to the young character, Bob, in the novel Shane by Jack Schaefer.  The boys from the service and Bob both have a similar view on the world and this can assist us in trying to grasp this view as adults.

One boy this week asked me what my favorite movie was.  In return I asked his and excitedly he answered that it was called Dinosaur, which he explained it was a Disney movie all about dinosaurs, which is his favorite topic.  Since he seemed extremely fond of this movie and also has told me in the past that he wants to be a Paleontologist, I know he has a love for this subject.  He gets so excited when talking about dinosaurs and what he wants to do when he is older.  This is because he is fascinated by dinosaurs and enjoys talking and reading about them.  To someone my age this subject is definitely not the greatest or most interesting thing in the world.  However when seeing the joy in his eyes I can tell this is something he is so passionate about, and since he is only about ten years old it seems even greater to him.  In the novel Shane, the young boy named Bob is in shock when he spots the man named Shane riding near his house on a horse.  Bob even says simply, "I was fascinated."  His descriptive details of Shane including his clothes, actions, and overall appearance make Shane seem like the most impressive thing to Bob.  If the book were written in perspective of either Bob's mother or father, the character of Shane might not have been as emphasized as how we see him through Bob's eyes.  Not only does this make a story for the novel but it also helps the characters realize how differently a person can be viewed through such a young child.  The boys at the service and Bob have similar views on the world because not only are they young and see things differently but their minds work in a way with imagination to come up with thoughts that may be difficult for older people to grasp, but it is critical that we do just this.

What these boys, Bob, and all children possess is a wonderful thing that many older people cannot understand.  Their view of the world is so different because they see a lot of things in ways we do not and the exaggeration of something is not such a bad thing.  Older people need to realize that even though we do not think like young children what they have is important.  It creates diversity of opinions and thoughts in the world and this is crucial for the world to function.  They may even take something we do for them so personally and greatly appreciate it, like service, and this can help change them without us even knowing it.

I enjoy helping the boys at Acts 4 Youth because I know just my small action of assistance, whether it be helping them with their homework or playing with them at recess, greatly affects and changes them.  At first I did not think that this would happen, but after a while I realized how happy they really were when my group and I showed up.  Just like Bob they see the world differently and appreciate our help much more than we know it.